Automobile steering column



Jan. 13, 1931. L. s. SHELDRICK AUTOMOBILE STEERING COLUMN Filed April 16. 1930 'INVENTOR.

A TTORNE Y.

latented jan. 13, r

Theobject of inyiinvention is to provide an automoblle steering column :ol simple,

durable, {and inexpensive construction.

A further object of my invention is to: provide an automob le I steering column of tubularisectlon {m which a: steering shaft and a "pair of control rods arerrotatably Wheel fastened totheupper endofthe steerthe control rods, these levers exteruling out nish flange is seeuredzto the-upperend of the steering column whlch hides from view mounted. I, of course, provide. a steering ing'shaft and also provide controlflewx' ers"forr wardlybeneath the steering wheel. 'A garthe "joint betweelrthewhe'el and1the shaft and which also has a pair of quadrants formed thereon to co-act I with Y the control levers, Aieature of this device is that I flatten outpo'rtions of the garnish flange to form the quadrants 'leavingishoulders on Y the flange which form stops to." limit. the

movement of the Control levers;

A further object 'of' my invention is toyprovide means wherebyj the lower ends of thesparkand throttle control rods may pro ject from the wall of thesteering column just forwardly of the dash so thatathey may bemore readily connected to the distributor and carburetor, respectively. Heretofore,

sparkand throttle control rods have been provided intheflformqof concentric tubes extending insideof a tubularsteering'igear shaft having a steeringyvheelsecured to its "upper end.- The l'owernendzof thisshaft-was coupled to thesteering gearreduction so that it was necessary to run -these tubes the full length of the steering gear shaft; the

' result being that the fex p'osed ends oi; the

1 tubes were very inconveniently situated for ';c.'o-nnecting with the d-lstributorhand: car-"g: -buretor. A w Y Y i To obtain the necessary rigidityfoi' the steering wheel, and to totally enclose. the

' steering HlQChELIIlSm Balt has been found very the spark and throttlecontrol rods within th'e' steering' tube as justjdescribed. my

O ENE}; g1 i nconlflol nrfxonor DELAWARE; 5 Q a mem Ewemm 1930. j serial No. 444,568.:

improved: device {these mesa-e i'otally ehi LAWRENCE s. a tempts ,ijnrnoirl ivricnre'niv, v ssieifoit; at ron-n "amnesia closed withinxthe' steering. column iandyet project out through the wall of'the column at a point where it is convenient to connect themitothe distributor and carburetor; I am thus "able to provide a steering column at considerably less cost andstill retain all he advantages of the oldertype. nThe cost of thelinkage connecting my device with the d1str1b'u'tor and carburetor is'also'materially lessenedxx a t 7 'With these andother objects in-view my invention. consists in: the arrangement, construction, and combination of the' various parts ofsmy. improved device, as describedin the-specification, claimed 'inuny claims, andillustrated in the accompanying drawings,in which:v 1 Y Figure 1 shows aside'elevationof my improved steering columnmounted on a chassis frame, partofthe chassisbeing shown in I section to better illustrate the construction.

Figure 2 showsa plan view of the upper end offthe'steering column shown in Figure 1 having thesteering'wheel removed. a

Figure 3 shows a=sectional view takenon the line8-e3iof'Figure r Figureitshows a detailed view ot my improved garnishflange, illustratii g, thespark and throttle rod quadrants} Y V Y Figure 5'shows a sectional yiew taken on the line 5-5 ofFigure 1,- and I 1 Y iFigurefi shows a sectional view taken on the-line (i-EGIOf Figure ;5.f a YY Y Y Retiring to the accompanying drawings,

lI havehsed: the referencenumerallO to indicate generally'the frame memberiotan automobile having a dash 11,. cowl ;l2, .an d

"floor boards 13;, .I have shown a fuel tank 14 formed integral with" the cowl member 12" and .to which the upper end of my steer-f ing colum'lris secured. Other means. may

be provided,if desired,' for mounting the vention resides not in the manner of mounting thecolumn but in the-' actual structure thereoij.v

with Worm wheel shaft 17. extending out upper end of this steering column as my inthrough this frame to which an arm 18 is secured. A drag link 19 is fastened to the have provided a steering column20 ofgenber 26 molded therein.

nals.

erally tubular cross section secured to the *housing'15 and extending upwardly "to "the steering wheel of the car. The upper end of this steering column is supported by a bracket 21 which is riveted 'to the under side of the fuel tank 14.; 1 H Referring to Figure 3,a steering shaft bearing 22 is pressed into the upper end of the steering column 20 and supports the upper end of a steering gear shaft 23 which extends from'the housing 15 up through the column 21 and bearing 22. I have shown a moulded steering wheel 24having spoke reinforcements 25 and a hub reinforcing mem- The upper end of the steering shaftv23 is tapered and is provided with aIVoodrufi' key 27 which 00- acts with a suitable keyway formed in the reinforcement 26 to securely lock the wheel Several keyways may andshaft together. bemachined at varlous positions around the reinforcement 26 so that the position .of the steering Wheelon the shaft 23 may be varied to suit the individual preferences of the drivers. A nut 28 is threadedon th'eouter end'of the steering shaft 23 to lock thesteering wheel to the shaft;

The hub portion ofthe steering wheel 24 'is provided with a recess 29 into which a light switch operating disk3O :is :mounted. Thisdisk is secured to the upper end ofla tube 31 which extends down-through the hollow shaft 23 and through'the housing 15 Where it emerges from the lower end thereof in position to operate a suitable light switch. The center portion of the disk is recessed at 32 to'receive a horn push but ton 33.. This push button is held in its inoperative position by. a spring 34, the lower end of which secures a terminal block 35 in the recess 32. A horn wire51 extends :through the tube 31 and is secured in the block 35in position to co-act with-the push button '33 to operate the horn;

particulardifiiculty is encountered in connecting'up the horn. wire-or light switch.

wire, as these wires may extend'alongthe frame member 10 'to thelr varlous termi- The bearing 22 is provided with two openings spaced from the shaft 23 which receive a throttle control rod 36 and a distributor .ject outwardly through suitable openings in this wall 39. A reinforcing plate 40 is w'elded to this'column -20 at point and 'is provided with apairofbearings 41 extending downwardly therefrom in which the rods 36"a'nd '37 are rotatably mounted.

A -sleeve'42is secured to the upper end of the steering column 20 and a garnish flange 43 extends radially from this sleeve. A ring shaped garnishmember 52 is formed integral with the outer edge of the flange 43 and extends upwardly to co-actwith an annular convex depression 53 in-the lower side of the steering wheelhub to thereby hide from view the joint between the steering wheel and shaft.

The upper ends of the rods 36 and-37 are bent outwardly at 46 to form control levers for these rods. Suitable portions of the ring 52 are blanked out at 44. to allow these control rod levers to extend -t-herethrough,

. theedges of these blanked portions limiting the movement of these levers. .The flange 43 adjacent to the blanked portions 44 is r I providedwith serrations 45 which co-act Compression springs 49 are disposed between the re-inforcingmember--40 and each of the arms 47 and 48 toresiliently urge the levers 46 against the. serrations 45.,

Among the-many advantages arising from the use of my improved deviceit may be well to mention that I havep'rovided a continuous tubular steering column extending from the steering. gear-housing to the steering wheel in whichthe steering; gear shaft together with the spark and throttle control rods are housed The lower ends of these rods i Y project out throughthe Wall'of the tube ina I have thus provided a steering shaft having a light switch operatingtube and horn switch wire extending t'hereth'rough. No:

novel manner iso as to make unnecessary the use of concentric tubes for these control -members,. and 'so as to bein abetter-position for connection with the distributor and carburetor. A further advantage results because I have provided-a garnish stripfor the upper end 1 of the steering column which shields from view the jointv between the steering ,Wheel and the steering shaft, and which forms stops for limiting the movement of the sparkand throttle control levers.

Some changes may be made-in the arranger various parts of my improved device withment, construction, and combination of the out departing from the spirit of my invencolumn and spaced from the axis of said shaft, and an offset portion formed in said column through which the lower end of said rod projects for the purpose described. r

2. In a deviceof the character described, a

steering gear housing, a tubular steering column secured to said housing, shaft rotatably mounted 1n said steering column, a steering wheel secured tothe upper end of said shaft, a pair of control rods ro-' tatably mounted within said column axially spaced from said shaft, control levers fornied on the upper ends of said rods extending radially beneath said Wheel, and an oifs'et portlon formed 111 said column; through:

which the lower ends of said rods project for the purpose described. g I c 3. In a device of the character described, a steering gear housing, a tubular steering column secured tosaid housing, a steering shaft rotatably mounted in said'steering column,

forcing member secured to the steering col a steering wheel secured to the upper end of said shaft, a pair of control rods rotatably I mounted within said column axially spaced from said shaft, control levers formed on the upper ends of said rods extending radially beneath said wheel, and offset portion formed in said column through which the lower ends of said rods project, and a reinumn vover said offset portion provlding bearings for the lower end of said' rods;

' In a device of the character described, a,

steering gear housing, atubular steering column secured in said housing, a steering shaft rotatably mounted within said steering column, a steering wheel secured to the upper-end of said shaft, a pairofcontrol rods having their. upper ends bent outwardly to form control levers 'rotatably mounted within said column, and an offset portion formed in the lower portion of said column through which the lower ends of said rods project for the purpose described. c

In a device of the character described,

' viding a steering and a reinforcing member secured to said rods.

6. In-a' device of-theicharacter described, I

a tubular steering column having a steering column adjacent to the 'ofi'setportion pro- V bearings for th'elower ends of saidshaft rotatably mounted therein, a control rod rotatably mounted inlsaid column axially spaced {from-"said shaft, a, steering Wheel secured. tosaid shaft, a control lever" secured to said-rod extending radially beneath said wheel, and aflangesecured to the end of said column adjacent to the steering wheel havingablanked out portion through fwhich saidlle ver projects, said flange effec- V hidingfrom view the joint between; the" steering wheel and shaft.

tively 7. In a device of the character described,

- a tubular steering column having a steering shaft rotatablymounted therein, a pair of control rods ,rotatably mountedin said column axially, spaced from said shaft, a steer- ,ingwheel secured to'said shaft a pair of control levers formedon the ends of said rods extending radially beneath said wheel, a garnish flange secured to the end'of said column adjacent to. the steering wheel hav- 1.

.ing blanked out portions through which said levers project, and serrations formed in saidflange adjacent to'said blanked portions to form' quadrants for said levers, the

flange effectively hiding from view the joint between the steeringwhe'el and shaft. 7 v

8. In a device of the character'described, a steering column, a bearing block secured in theupper end of said column, a steering gear shaft rotatably mounted in said block,

a pair of control rods rotatably' mounted in f 7 said block axially spaced from said shaft,

a steering wheel secured to the end of said shaft, control levers for said rods extending radially beneathsaid wheel, and a garnish flange secured to the end of said column adj acentjto the steering wheel effectively hiding from View the joint between the wheel 1 .i

and shaft, saidgarnish flange havingv a pair of. blanked portions therein through which 1' said levers extend the edges of which form. 1

stops to limit the movement of said levers.

I, AWR NCE s. SHELDRICK. j g,

a tubular steering column, a bearing block secured in the upper end of said colunm, a

steering shaft having its upper end rotatably mounted in said block, a pair'of control I i I rods having their upper ends rotatably mounted in said block axially spaced from said shaft, .an offset portion, formed in the lower portion of said columnthrough which the lower ends of said rods project,

a if as 

